Make Ahead Lunch Bowls: Greek Chicken & Veggies

Make lunch for the whole week in just 30 minutes! Greek chicken make ahead lunch bowls are great for busy moms or older kids. Easy prep, balanced nutrition, and complete deliciousness!

These Greek chicken make ahead lunch bowls are made especially for you, busy parents! How often does lunch roll around and you have nothing planned? When that happens to me I end up eating less-than-ideal lunches.

But, prepping for the whole week makes it possible to eat delicious, balanced meals at the drop of a hat! These bowls are also great because they are designed to be whipped up in just 30 minutes.

Having a balanced meal of lean protein, whole grain carbohydrates, and flavorful veggies will fill you up with good stuff. Plus, my husband and I think these are SO delicious! We will probably be making them a lot…

Cut 1.5 pounds of chicken into 1-inch cubes and toss them with half of the dressing. Refrigerate until needed, up to a day.

Cook couscous by boiling 2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth, then pouring 1.5 cups of couscous in. Let it sit and soak up the liquid, and toss after about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Rinse and drain a can of chickpeas and toss them into the skillet. Toss with half a teaspoon each of: paprika, oregano, and salt. Once toasted for a few minutes, add five cups of spinach and saute until wilted. Set aside.

In the same skillet (don’t worry about cleaning it) add the chicken. Cook until no longer pink inside.

Assemble the bowls by evenly dividing the couscous into 5 containers. Top with chicken, chickpeas and spinach, and fresh grape tomatoes. Spread the reserved dressing over the bowls, then sprinkle with feta cheese.

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Enjoy some now, refrigerate all the bowls, or freeze a few!

Greek Chicken lunch bowl notes

The dressing can be made ahead of time and the chicken can marinate overnight for even quicker assembly. If you really need to speed things up, you can even grab a pre-made Greek dressing from the store (you’ll need about 2/3 of a cup).

You can also use whatever grain you want in place of couscous. Quinoa or brown rice would work nicely. If you do stick with cous cous, I recommend the whole wheat couscous from Trader Joes.

These bowls can even be frozen if you want to space them over more than one week. The tomatoes will be cooked when reheated rather than fresh, but they still taste great.

Serve warm or cold with feta and fresh lemon juice sprinkled on top!

Make Ahead Lunch Bowls: Greek Chicken & Veggies

Serves: 5

Nutrition per serving % daily value

Calories: 61031%

Fat: 25 g38%

Carb: 57 g19%

Fiber: 8 g32%

Protein: 39 g78%

Sugar: 1 g

Ingredients

1 1/2 pound – chicken breast

1 1/2 cup – couscous, dry

2 cup – chicken broth, low-sodium

15 ounce – chickpeas (garbanzo beans), canned

5 cup – spinach

1/2 teaspoon – paprika

1/2 teaspoon – salt

1/2 teaspoon – black pepper, ground

1 1/2 cup – cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoon – feta cheese crumbles

Dressing:

1/3 cup – olive oil

1/4 cup – lemon juice

1 tablespoon – vinegar, red wine

3 clove – garlic

1 tablespoon – oregano, dried

1/2 teaspoon – black pepper, ground

1/2 teaspoon – salt

1/2 teaspoon – onion powder

Directions

Cut chicken into 1-inch cubes. Whisk together dressing/marinade mixture. In a seal-able container or gallon zipper bag, combine chicken and HALF of the marinade mixture. Seal and refrigerate the chicken for up to a day.

Cook couscous: boil 2 cups of chicken broth, then add 1.5 cups of couscous and allow to soak. Fluff after five minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Rinse and drain a can of garbanzo beans and toss them into the heated pan to toast. Add paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir and toast for a few minutes, then add spinach and cook until wilted. Set the chickpeas and spinach aside, scraping the spices off a bit as well, and return the skillet to the heat.